A lifelong student of soccer whose passion for it outstrips his ability, Harvey is happy to return to the Cascadian mecca of The Beautiful Game.

A Seattle native, Harvey was lured into the field of sports media by the high salaries and fast cars that are all too commonplace for sportswriters. As a student at Carleton (MN.) College, he worked as a writer, broadcaster and producer for the sports information department. Harvey graduated from Carleton magna cum laude in history and theatre in 2015.

Harvey also worked for the North American Soccer League’s Minnesota United FC, contributing to televised broadcasts from the control room.

After completing an internship with Sportspress Northwest, he covers the Sounders and UW men’s basketball as well as contributing coverage on the Seahawks and Mariners.

Reversal of fortunes is a phenomenon to which most can relate. None can relate more than the Seattle Sounders, who 364 days after defeating Toronto FC on penalty kicks at BMO Field in the 2016 MLS Cup, were soundly beaten on the same field by the same team for the same trophy.

The Seattle Sounders went through their annual media day at CenturyLink Field Wednesday, demonstrating through discourse and action that the club still seeks for 2018 to be one of the most visible clubs in the world.

It’s been a busy first few days of the off-season for the Seattle Sounders. The club exercised 11 contract options, declined another, had four players out of contract and lost its primary backup goalkeeper, Tyler Miller, to Los Angeles FC in the expansion draft. Thursday, the club announced it had acquired defender Waylon Francis from the Columbus Crew for $50,000 in allocation money.

In their second consecutive MLS Cup final against Toronto FC, the Sounders were stopped cold. After not conceding a goal in a playoff-record 706 minutes, Seattle gave way in the second half, and dreams of repeating slipped away in a 2-0 loss at BMO Field.

TORONTO – Ahead of the Sounders' final practice of the year Friday, something needed to be done to ease the stress of defending their MLS championship in the the same place it was won, at BMO Field. So Roman Torres, to the delight of all, decided to re-enact his championship-winning penaltykick that brought Seattle its first title.

For the second year in a row, the Seattle Sounders are bound for the MLS Cup finals in Toronto. An early goal in the second leg of the Western Conference finals Thursday put things in cruise control, and Seattle finished off the depleted Houston Dynamo, 3-0, and 5-0 on aggregate.

After a convincing 2-0 win on the road in the first leg of the Western Conference finals, the Seattle Sounders seem poised to push through for a MLS Cup rematch in Canada Dec. 9 after Toronto FC defeated the Columbus Crew in the Eastern finals Wednesday. Coach Brian Schmetzer isn’t letting his team sleep on the Houston Dynamo, despite the fact that his side hasn’t conceded a goal in its last 452 minutes of play.

Mike Leach sounded as if he worried what a team of middle-schoolers would do to his Washington State Cougars if they failed to focus. But it was the Washington Huskies who tore them to shreds Saturday night. QB Luke Falk was the MMP: Most Mauled Player, throwing three picks, coughing up a fumble and getting sacked five times for a loss of 38 yards in a 41-14 demolition in front of a capacity crowd of 71,265 at Husky Stadium.

Entering the first leg of the MLS Western Conference finals Tuesday, the Sounders had never won a match against the Dynamo in Houston. Thanks to an early goal and a crucial penalty kick decision, the Sounders filled in that blank in their history, and took a large step toward returning to the MLS Cup finals with a 2-0 victory in front of a record sellout crowd (22,667) at BBVA Compass Stadium.

After a two-week break for international play, the Seattle Sounders take on the Houston Dynamo in a two-leg series for a shot at a second consecutive MLS Cup. After defeating Cascadia rival Vancouver 2-0 in aggregate in the semifinals, the Sounders play the first match against the Dynamo in Houston at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (FS1).

Clint Dempsey had not scored a goal in the playoffs for the Seattle Sounders since 2015, but only because he hadn’t had the opportunity. After missing all of the 2016 playoffs due to a heart condition, and the first game of this season's conference semifinals due to a red card, Dempsey made up for lost time Thursday night. The 34-year-old scored two second-half goals to propel the Sounders past the Vancouver Whitecaps and into the Western Conference finals for a second consecutive year.

Ahead of a winner-take-all semifinal second leg against the Vancouver Whitecaps Thursday (7:30 p.m., FS1), the Seattle Sounders still have lineup questions due to lingering injuries picked up late in the season. Tied 0-0 on aggregate after the first leg in Vancouver, the Sounders must win the match at CenturyLink Field to advance to the Western Conference finals.

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Fulfilling the stereotype of MLS playoff form, the first leg of the MLS Western Conference semifinals features atypical casts and a lack of resolution. The Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps settled for a scoreless draw in the opening act of the two-part series.

The Seattle Sounders were spared a long trip for the Western Conference semifinals, thanks to a 5-0 thrashing of the San Jose Earthquakes by the Vancouver Whitecaps Wednesday night in the knockout round. The Sounders will play at BC Place Sunday (5:30 p.m., ESPN) before returning home for the second leg in Seattle Nov. 2.

Despite losing Clint Dempsey to a red card in the 24th minute, the Seattle Sounders blanked the Colorado Rapids 3-0 at the Clink Sunday to clinch the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs and a first-round bye. The red card means Dempsey will miss the first leg of the conference semifinals against an opponent to be determined.

Two goals in three minutes from forward Will Bruin clinched a ninth consecutive playoff berth for the Seattle Sounders Sunday at the Clink. The 4-0 win over FC Dallas was the second victory in the last eight matches, moving Seattle into third place in the Western Conference standings. The Sounders can finish the regular season no higher than second nor lower than fourth.

With two regular-season matches remaining, nine points separate first place from eighth in the MLS Western Conference. The fourth-place Seattle Sounders (12-9-11, 47 points), can guarantee themselves a spot in the postseason with a win at home against FC Dallas Sunday (4:30 p.m., FS1), but could still finish anywhere from the west’s top spot to below the cutoff line.

So dire were the circumstances of the Seattle Sounders’ lineup in Chester, PA., Sunday afternoon that Cristian Roldan, with a broken arm, was pressed into service as an attacking midfielder. Forced to make four changes to a roster that Wednesday bullied the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Sounders lost 2-0 to a Philadelphia Union team dwelling in the Eastern Conference basement.

The Sounders rediscovered their high-powered offense Wednesday night, thrashing the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-0 to end a 202-minute scoring drought and earn the first win in six matches. Nicolas Lodeiro had a goal and two assists as coach Brian Schmetzer shook up his formation.

After 13 matches without a loss, the Seattle Sounders finally felt the sting of defeat in a road loss to Real Salt Lake Saturday night. The 2-0 downfall highlighted Seattle’s deficiencies on both sides of the ball as the Utah club undressed the Sounders twice on counterattacks.

Thank you! Art Thiel and Steve Rudman

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Kirsten Kendrick's Q. & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:35am and 7:35am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:45pm. It also airs Saturday at 6:35am and 9:35am.